Options For Consumers When COBRA Coverage Runs Out
A reader asks: Can COBRA health insurance coverage be extended beyond 36 months?
Seniors Cautioned To Pay Close Attention To Details As Enrollment Begins In Medicare Plans
Costs, coverage details of different Medicare Advantage or prescription drug plans can vary significantly, so beneficiaries should weigh their options and consider switching plans for a better deal.
Costliest 1 Percent Of Patients Account For 21 Percent Of U.S. Health Spending
Most of these patients have multiple chronic illnesses and all too often they wind up in emergency rooms because they have enormous difficulty navigating the increasingly fragmented, complicated and inflexible health-care system.
A Former ‘Young Invincible’ Looks Forward to Health Insurance
Brad Stevens, 54, learned the hard way that being uninsured was risky as accidents and illness took a toll. Soon, he’ll qualify for California’s expanded Medicaid program.
FAQ: Seniors On Medicare Don’t Need To Apply To The Health Law Marketplaces
The online exchanges that open Oct. 1 are not aimed at Medicare beneficiaries, but the 2010 health law does affect seniors in other ways.
Many Cancer Patients Overtreated In Final Days
Care is particularly aggressive in the Philadelphia area, according to a Dartmouth Atlas study.
Labor Dept. Mandates Minimum Wage, Overtime Pay For Home Health Workers
The Obama administration had been trying for almost two years to extend overtime and minimum wage protections to the workers. The rule doesn’t take effect until 2015.
States Balk At Terminating Medicaid Contracts Even When There’s Fraud Or Poor Patient Care
Officials won’t use “nuclear option” for fear of disrupting services to patients.
Long-Term Care Panel Releases Recommendations But Fails To Offer Plan To Help Pay For Services
The group tackles wide-ranging list of concerns, but the lack of a financing plan raises strong objections from some members.
Selling Marketplace Plans To Medicare Beneficiaries Will Be Illegal
The administration ramps up its message that seniors with Medicare coverage do not need plans from the exchanges.
Pathways To Housing: One Woman’s Story
Two years ago Pathways to Housing helped a homeless Alicia O. find an apartment and get regular medical care, the first steps on her way to changing her circumstances, and improving her life.
No Shopping Zone: Medicare Is Not Part Of New Insurance Marketplaces
Administration officials are planning campaign to convince millions of seniors that they don’t need to sign up for the online exchanges.
Moving People Home After Nursing Home Stay Is Complicated
A program aimed at getting people out of nursing homes and back in their own homes is off to a slow start. Organizers say it’s a challenge to find out which services each person needs, from meals delivered to a whole new apartment.
Talking Scales and Telemedicine: ACO Tools To Keep Patients Out Of The Hospital
A Minnesota hospital’s care for congestive heart failure patients set the stage for it to become an Accountable Care Organization under the health law.
Connecticut Department of Social Services’ Dawn Lambert discusses the state’s efforts to address residents’ long-term care needs while minimizing the strain on the state’s Medicaid budget.
Advocates Urge More Government Oversight Of Medicaid Managed Care
The health law’s expansion of Medicaid is putting a spotlight on how regulators monitor the performance of privately-run plans.
A Busy ER Doctor Slows Down To Help Patients Cope With Pain
After 20 years as a busy ER doctor, Linda Smith now finds satisfaction guiding patients through treatment for life-threatening illnesses.
Facing A Tight Deadline, Long-Term Care Panel Holds First Meeting
The commission, set up by Congress to offer recommendations on paying for services to help seniors and disabled people, has only a few months left to do its work.
Pittsburgh Researchers Look For Ways To Prevent Depression In Seniors
The study is examining whether offering support for older adults with chronic illnesses, pain and cognitive problems can stave off the serious mental health issues.
Getting Help For Depression Is Important
Recommended interventions for seniors include prescription drugs, problem-solving therapy, cognitive behavior therapy, and interpersonal therapy.
